Typeface classification: Vox-ATypI

Please consider this Knol as a draft. I'll continuously add details, specifications and tips and corrections until (I hope) obtaining an exhaustive and easy-to-use guide.

Classicals

Classicals typefaces have serifs.

Humanes (or Humanist, or Humanistic)

Humanes typefaces have short and thick bracketed serifs, along with a low contrast between horizontals and verticals strokes. To recognize a Humane typeface, look at the lowercase "e", the cross-stroke is slanted. Also, ascenders letters have slanted serifs.

Jenson, a Humane typeface.

Garaldes

Garaldes typefaces have a stronger contrast between downstroke and upstroke than Humanes typefaces. Their weight is distributed according to an oblique axis.

Garamond, a Garalde typeface.

Réales (or Realist, Transitional)

Réales typefaces have contrast between main and connecting strokes that is marked even more than in the first two groups, and their weight is distributed according to a quasi-vertical axis. The serifs are finer than the Garaldes ones.

Baskerville, a Réale typeface.

Moderns

Didones

Didones typefaces have extremely fine connecting strokes. The characters are verticals, their serifs are unbracketed and fine like hair. They correspond to the Didot of the Thibaudeau classification.

Bodoni, a Didone typeface.

Mécanes (or Mechanical, Mechanistic, Slab serif)

Mécanes typefaces have rectangular slab serifs and very low contrast. They correspond to the Egyptiennes of the Thibaudeau classification.

Clarendon, a Mécane typeface.

Linéales (or Lineals)

Linéales typefaces haven't serifs. They are called "sans-serif" or "Grotesque".

Grotesques

Grotesque typefaces generally have a spurred “G”, an “R” with a curled leg, and the terminals of curves are usually horizontal.

Helvetica, a Grotesque typeface.

Neo-Grotesque

Neo-Grotesque typefaces are derived from earlier Grotesque faces but they have a more regular design, with less strokes.

Arial, a Neo-Grotesque typeface.

Geometric

Geometric typefaces are built upon simple geometric shapes. Curves and stokes tend to be repeated through the letters, reducing letter differentiation.

Futura, a Geometric typeface.

Humanist

Look at the Humanes typefaces, remove the serifs, and you have a Linéale Humanist typeface.

Optima, a Humanist typeface.

Incises (or Glyphic, Incised)

Incises are inspired by engraved letters, like the Roman letters. Sometimes they don't have a lowercase set.

Trajan, an Incise typeface.

Calligraphics

Scripts

Scripts typefaces evokes the cursive writing of hand. Note this category does not contains italic types, which are bound to their respective typefaces.

Mistral, a Script typeface.

Manuaires (or Manual, Graphics)

Manuaires typefaces looks like drawn by hand, with a pencil, a brush, or any other instrument, but they don't fit in the "Scripts" category. They are mainly used for headline or display purposes as they are not well suited for text.

Klang, a Manuaire typeface.

Fractures (Blackletters)

Fractures typefaces are easy to recognize. Remember the old medieval books? They are called Fractures because their sides are cut (in order to gain space on paper). They are drawn with a broad-nibbed pen and their shapes are angular.

Notre Dame, a Fracture typeface.

Others

Non-Latin

This group contains all writing systems not based on the Latin alphabet (Arabic, Japanese, Greek, etc).